Moving To Bangkok - Advice Needed

[Scott]

Our school used to provide housing for new teachers for the first month, free. These were the basic one large room with bathroom and balcony, usually fairly close to the school. It was the biggest headache on earth. We tried different places. If it was close to the main road, then it was too noisy for some, those further off the road were quiet, but it was too hard to get around. No 'decent' food to eat nearby was another complaint--whatever that meant.

Finding suitable housing is difficult is a very personal choice and it's best left up to the person to find what they like.

[BlackArtemis]

So, I took a job up in Chiang Mai for 38500Baht a month, as I know I can make that into a minimum of 50k. I plan on saving 20-30k a month. Now I am qualified enough to teach at an international school, 3 years experience, certified in the US in biology etc etc. But I was was wondering if it was really worth it to try to start off at 70-75k in Bangkok and still try to save 30k. Is 40k enough to live on comfortably? I might eat western food 5 meals in a month, if that, and Go out on the weekends 2-3x a month dropping 500-1000B (on booze not girls ). After working for a few years at 70k, is it impossible to think that I could land a job making 90-100k?

I love Chiang Mai too much though, it's hard to leave. The school I got a job with seems really interesting despite the low pay and lack of perks, but I really wanted to work there for at least a year... I may try my hand at the International schools in CM as they pay 55-65k but the positions are rare.

[craigt3365]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Just to clear up a couple of things:

1. I will not be an english teacher. I will be teaching primary school at an International School. I've been teaching for six years.

2. I understand why some people come to Bangkok, but that's not the appeal for me at all (although I do like to go out from time to time and have drinks). I'm actually trying to decide between this job offer, a school in Mexico City, and a school in Nicaragua. Right now I am leaning towards Bangkok and need to make a decision in the next week.

I've traveled quite extensively. I've spent a lot of time in Mexico and Central/South America. Wifey and I spent many months in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina and Chile looking at places to retire.

In the end, we decided it was hard to beat Thailand. Mexico City has really bad air and crime is rampant. Thought Bangkok air can be bad also, it's better than Mexico City. Nicaragua is a 3rd world country for sure. Roads are horrible, crime is really bad, and food is so so...IMHO. We spent a few weeks in Granada. Not impressed.

Just my opinion, but I think Bangkok is the better place. Plus from here, it's easy to visit Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bali and many other really cool places, like the various islands here in the Kingdom. And there's a much larger expat community here.

[otherstuff1957]

Our hungover friend had some good advice: Find a place to live near the school. Traffic can be a nightmare in that area and you don't want to start each day by sitting in a traffic jam for an hour or so.

70K should be enough to live on easily, especially if you can eat Thai food most of the time.

[IrishTexasAggie]

Can anyone recommend a good website to check out housing options? I know I should wait and search when I arrive, but I would like to get an idea of what I'm looking at. I don't think I have extravagant taste or anything like that, but I would like something that is well kept and clean.

Also, I've been staring at maps trying to get an understanding of where is exactly my school is in relation to other "hot spots" in town. It's hard to comprehend having never been there. How far from the center does the Sky Train go? Will it get me close to the area where the school is (Ramintra), or would I solely be relying on taxis when I want to get into town? I guess my biggest fear about living out by the school is that I will get bored out there. I really can't find much information when I search for things to do out in that area. I am certainly not a big partier or anything like that, but it would be nice to be in an area that gives me options.

[craigt3365]

Thaivisa has a place to search for accomodations:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/73-thailand-accommodation-finding-forum/

I know there are other websites. Typically, here in Thailand, the best deals will be found by picking an area where you want to live and then cruising around looking at signs advertising places for rent. Or, stopping into the various apartment buildings and asking the local manager or look at the posting board inside. Most places are not advertised on the internet. I for sure would not sign up for a long term lease until I had viewed the unit in person....and had a chance to determine the noise level at various hours of the day and night.

[SlyAnimal]

70k in Thailand, is a huge amount, even in BKK. I don't understand how some posters can think of 70k a month as living "Thai style", if so they must know some very high-so Thai people. Or maybe they just mean, working class, since you have to goto work in order to get your money. But anywho, you'll struggle to spend 70k a month unless you have a lot of fun with drugs, alcohol or women, so you should be able to put quite a bit away into savings.

Live close to work, BKK has absolutely terrible traffic

If for instance, it is a 1h taxi ride from your school to the expat community you want to frequent then:

If you live in an expat area, and take 1h every day to work, and 1h back, 10h a week regardless of whether you go out to see the expats or not. If you're in a hurry to see the expats after work or similar, you are still taking a 1h taxi ride 5 days a week, before you can go out for a drink and see the expat community (Since you'll travel from school to home/expat community).

If you live next to school, you only take a 1h taxi when you want to go out and see the expats, so if you go out 3 nights a week, that's 6h a week. Also you'll be more likely to live near the other teachers from your school, both Thai and Farang, who will probably be your first friends in BKK anyway, thus spending time with them will be easier.

Not to mention of course, the extra sleep you get every day from living close to work (Which would also mean you can stay out a little later at night if you wanted), and the fact that living in an expat area will probably cost you more than living close to your school, not to mention the extra taxi fares every week. Also, when you take a taxi to work, everyone else will be going to work too, so you'll have absolutely terrible traffic the entire way. But when you want to go and see the expat community at a bar, or come home, the traffic won't be as bad (Just absolutely terrible around the expat areas, but significantly less once you get away from the expat areas).

If you were living in your home country, would you want to live in the centre of the city, or near the suburb where you work?

[BlackArtemis]

I don't think that 70k is "Thai Style" But I want to be able to save a minimal of 30k a month and still be able to afford most of the things I want.

Ex and I were making a combined 90k in Chiang Mai and it was a very easy life. The more money I can make, the more I can save. Just wanted to know if 40k to live on is a comfortable life or not and if the chance of getting a 90-100k teaching job with, by the time I apply, 4 years of experience and being certified in the US to teach biology and soon Earth sciences.

Just not sure if I want to leave Chiang Mai.